North Carolina Women’s Soccer Coach Wants Stanford, Cal to ‘Die On The Vine,’ Rather Than Have Them Join ACC

North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer head coach Anson Dorrance isn't mincing words in expressing his opposition to the ACC adding Stanford and Cal in a recent video interview with WRAL in Raleigh, N.C.

Dorrance argued that travel to and from California would be too strenuous for the current ACC members, and that the two schools would get an unfair recruiting advantage in the conference based on the ACC's current pedigree.

"If you put those two schools in the ACC, it's going to be so easy for them to recruit nationally. So it will just benefit them in my opinion, not us," Dorrance said. "There's no way I want to share the glory of our conference with two schools that could do a very good job recruiting against us."

Dorrance added that if Cal and Stanford are denied entrance to the ACC and are forced to stay in the dwindling Pac-12, then all ACC schools would gain an advantage in recruiting against those two schools and elevate the conference.

"So basically I want Cal and Stanford die on the vine," he said. "I look forward to seeing Stanford, which is a really difficult school to recruit against, I would look forward to them basically having it so difficult to recruit the elite soccer player, and then we would be in the position to gain those kids and put the ACC in an even stronger position."

Dorrance received a lot of attention for his comments, and offered clarification in a Wednesday statement.

“I have the utmost respect for Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley," Dorrance said. "They are outstanding institutions with dedicated leaders, committed students and world-class soccer programs and coaches. I don’t think conference expansion is in the best interest of Carolina and the ACC at this time."

The exodus of major schools from the Pac-12 has left Stanford and Cal as two of just four schools who are set to remain in the conference after next year. Officials from the ACC explored the idea of inducting the two schools into their conference, according to ESPN.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice even lobbied to get Stanford into the conference, according to Yahoo Sports and Sports Illustrated. In a recent informal vote among officials from all 15 ACC schools, Stanford fell one vote shy of reaching the 12 votes necessary for membership, however the vote could re-open next year.